Axiom also published an article stating that beyond about $1500-2k/pair you're paying for cosmetic upgrades b/c a better sounding speaker can't be made.
I think that for 1,500-5,000$ a pair you are mainly paying for cosmetic items... However, when you go up to the 20k$+ range, there is an audible difference to me. Specifically with Wilson's (I am a fan of wilson's. However, i don't know if i will ever own a pair). Wilson uses corian as a building material in the construction of their cabinets. From doing some reading, Corian is suppose to be one of the best materials available to build speaker cabinets out of. It is also suppose to be very expensive to work with, between the molding, and the machining.
On a side note, i have a pair of B&W CM1's with the small CM center in my bedroom, which are similar to the M2's as well as the vp100.. i paid about 3X as much for the B&W's as the price of the M2's.. And i will admit i bought them because i liked the way they look.. I have M60ti's in the living room, and there is not a drastic difference between the two sets of speakers. While the M60's will obviously play deeper, overall i think both brands sound similar.
But that is just me...
